Shot in downtown Innsbruck. And as a counterpart/follow-up to the red Fiat 500 the other day, note how small this Mustang looks against modern compact Europeans.

I saw a fair number of other classic American muscle cars, mostly while on the road, as it was August and they’re out to play. And I saw a couple of new 2015 Mustangs in Innsbruck, and I must say that they fit in fairly well. The original Mustang was on a scale that made it fit in quite well in Europe, and the current one does too. It’s certainly more international now with IRS and smaller boosted engines.

The original Mustang made a huge impact in Europe. It was right about the time that big American cars were decreasingly seen as a desirable prestige car, and the Mustang shifted Europeans to it and other muscle cars. This ’66 Mustang shot in Innsbruck in 1967 is sporting local plates.

The Mustang inspired the raft of affordable European sporty coupes that quickly followed in its hoof steps, the Ford Capri being the most successful of the genre. But the American Mustang’s appeal is still very much alive, with a certain demographic. The 2015 Mustang starts at €37,000, for the 317 hp 2.3 L EcoBoost four coupe, including VAT (value added tax).

37 Comments

What an irrational car. The hint of Italian style topped with just too much horsepower ladeled on to the mundane platform of the Falcon, with it’s beam axle and drum brakes. The power isn’t even geared to go fast but just to make asinine jackrabbit starts to wear out the bias ply tires. And this is the American car Europe takes to heart and even copies.

I am being sarcastic of course. I wonder if in some of our disscussions we try to be too rational in our attacks or defenses of the models. Some Austrians are fans of classic Mustangs, enough to import them even after they got valuable. Well sure, why not, remember Steve McQueen……

STYLE is the word! Other than the red Mustang, the rest of that street is littered with dreary, anonymous BLOBS that only serve to remind us of how certain joyless revisionists only see automobilia as utilitarian.

I have seen the point made here before that U.S. cars had carried some credibility in Europe, but by the mid 60s, had grown to a size where they were just not even remotely practical. The Mustang was big and thirsty for Europe, but not so much as to remove it completely from consideration. Plus, it was sure a looker!

The bigger question is that it is hard to get away from red Mustangs even in Europe. No doubt there are more red Mustangs about then the factory turned out although this may be true to it’s roots. Yet in the case, where the cars are colors from white to silver to gray to black, it is downright refreshing.

We have never had Mustangs sold here by Ford, but if you went for a drive around my town you’d call me a liar, they are everywhere all models and plenty of recent ones, we are threatened with new cars when the Falcon ceases production so that will mean they come RHD instead of LHD which will improve driveability as the drivers will be able to see to overtake, there must be nothing worse than going for a drive in your flash muscle car and being stuck behind a slow moving truck simply because you neglected to bring a passenger so you can see to overtake.

Not really.
Those Europeans who like US iron want a real V8 engine under the hood.
I recently saw a statistic that a huge percentage of European buyers of the current Mustang choose the V8 option over the smaller (but turbocharged) engine.

But those of us who are obsessed with American cars want ‘the real thing’ – the biggest V8 available and automatic transmission. If we were content with small engines and stick shift, we would simply buy the same kind of cars as every other European…

I didn’t get a good look at the license plate. Where was it from? Ford sold the early Mustangs in Europe. They were, however, called “T-5” due to the Mustang name already being registered by another company.

Yep. I stand corrected. I had forgotten that detail. I saw one of those, a ’65 at a car show in Indy a few years ago.
As to there being more red Mustangs than Ford ever made, I have to agree. That’s like all the SS Novas, Camaros, and Chevelles that have shown up and the ’57 Chevy 210s that are now BelAirs. There are also lots of Mustang GTs out there that aren’t.
My red ’66 actually does wear the original color. I’m not sure, however, about the Rally Pac, etc. though.

I like Mustangs. As far as comparing size, most cars are built thick. Thick bodies, thick roof pillars .Stubby. Looks like the ’16 Camaro will have bumpers as thick as the whole car body was in ’67. Most compacts weigh as much if not than an early Mustang.

The Mustang that Ford forgot when restyling, reimagining, reworking the Mustang concept. Superficially similar in looks, but no longer a sporty car for the masses in a sensible size and weight. Suddenly it’s 1971…..

I am not big on their 2015s looks. I have a 2009 and don’t see an improvement with the new one. Of course retro is not for everyone. Just my opinion.
I did mistake a 2015 out on the road yesterday for a new Camaro at first glance. To me that says a lot.
I guess I am sort of a Mustang purist or something.

After the Australian Dollar went above parity with the US Dollar, it seems like Australia has ended up with more 1960’s Mustangs per capita than the US. OK, that is probably a bit of an exaggeration. A lot of them are very good value out here now, there is not a shortage of them. As the Australian Dollar has dropped to about US 70 Cents, it probably almost makes financial sense for Americans to buy the top class cars out here and ship them back home.